Chapter 41 Letta/Roc

The knock at the door came just after noon. I wasn’t expecting anyone. I hadn’t left the house in days, not since Salvatore threw me out like I was nothing. Like I hadn’t spent years loving him. Waiting for him. Believing in him. I opened the door and froze. A box sat on the porch. Elegant. White. Tied with a black satin ribbon. My heart jumped. Salvatore. Who else would send something like this?

I snatched it up and carried it inside, my hands trembling. The lid lifted easily, and when I saw what was inside, my breath caught. A dress. Not just any dress, a stunning, floor‑length gown in a deep, rich color that made my chest tighten. The kind of dress a man chose when he wanted the world to see who belonged to him. And beneath it… a ticket. To the Ricci charity gala. My vision blurred for a moment. He wanted me there. He still wanted me. Why else would he send this? There was a note tucked under the fabric. No signature. No name. Just a single line written in strong, confident handwriting.

Wear this. Come find me.

I pressed the note to my chest, tears burning behind my eyes. He hadn’t forgotten me. He hadn’t replaced me. He was just… confused. Pressured. Caught up in whatever game he was playing with that girl. But this? This was proof. He wanted me at his side. He wanted me back. I held the dress up to my body, spinning once in front of the mirror. It was perfect. It was everything he used to tell me I deserved.

“He still loves me,” I whispered to my reflection. “He has to.”

Because why else would he send me something so beautiful? Why else would he invite me to the gala? Why else would he want me there… unless he was finally ready to choose me? I clutched the dress tighter, my pulse racing. Friday couldn’t come fast enough.

**Roc

The envelope was waiting on my kitchen counter when I got home. No return address. No markings. Just my name written in a handwriting I didn’t recognize.

My stomach dropped before I even opened it. Inside was a single photograph. Me and Marco. Kissing.

My chest tightened so hard I had to grab the counter to stay upright. I felt the blood drain from my face, my pulse hammering in my ears. On the back of the photo was a message...

Secrets look different in the light.

See you Friday.

My hands shook. Someone knew. Someone had seen. Someone was watching. And in our world… this wasn’t just dangerous. It was deadly. I didn’t think. I just grabbed my keys and drove straight to Salvatore’s house.

He opened the door before I even knocked twice. “Roc? What happened?”

I shoved the photo into his hand. His jaw tightened instantly. “Who sent this?”

“I don’t know,” I said, voice cracking. “But someone knows. Someone’s watching me. I was going to tell my parents before the gala, but now...”

“Roc,” he said firmly, “look at me.” I did. “You’re not alone.”

Sara appeared behind him, worry written all over her face. “What’s going on?”

Salvatore handed her the photo. She sucked in a breath. “Oh, Roc…”

I felt myself unraveling. “I can’t let my parents find out like this. I can’t let them hear it from someone else. I was going to tell them tonight, but now...”

“Then we call them,” Sara said immediately. “Have them come here. You shouldn’t do this alone.”

My throat tightened. “I don’t know if I can.”

“Yes,” she said, stepping closer, “you can. And we’ll be right here.”

Salvatore nodded. “Both of us.”

I looked between them, the only two people who knew, the only two people who hadn’t flinched, judged, or pulled away.

My hands were still shaking, but I pulled out my phone. “I’ll call them,” I whispered. And for the first time since opening that envelope, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t going to fall apart.